The family is a system, much like the human body. Just as the entire body suffers when one of its parts dysfunctions or fails to work in harmony with the rest of the body, the entire family suffers when one of its members suffers or is "out of synch."

The issues of an individual family member are often a reflection of some conflict within the family system as a whole. It is difficult to treat adolescent problems, for example, without also addressing problems that likely underlie the supporting family structure.

As is the case with couples psychotherapy, individual issues often play out within the family, and family therapy can help address these issues. Certain roles within the family may have become so habitual or ingrained over time that the family grows distant, stagnant and even suffocating. For example, a domineering father may fail to notice that this way of relating interferes with having close relationships with his children. Or children may have learned manipulative, aggressive or self-devaluing behaviors in an attempt to fit in with certain unspoken family patterns.

The therapist does not criticize, blame, or take sides in working with a family. The therapist helps the family become more aware of subtle dynamics that may be the source of persistent tensions and power struggles. Of particular importance is learning how such patterns were put into place and examining what hidden "rewards" accompany certain problematic behaviors. The adolescent who drinks or uses drugs to get his or her parents' attention, the father who works excessively long hours to avoid tension at home—these are but two common examples of conflicted individual behavior motivated by deeper disharmony within the family unit. 

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